The Question: Will You Build Muscle with BJJ?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art that has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is known for its effectiveness in self-defense and for its ability to help practitioners develop strength, flexibility, and agility. But does BJJ also help you build muscle?

The Answer: Not Likely

Unfortunately, the answer is no. BJJ does not build muscle as it doesn’t meet the key criteria for building muscle which is high levels of mechanical tension and metabolic stress. In order to build muscle, you need to lift weights.

BJJ will help you build some muscles as you start, and even improve your core strength however due to the level of high intensity cardio it features it can be hard to gain muscle after you figure out the fundamentals.

What Does BJJ Do

While BJJ does not build muscle, it does have many other benefits. BJJ is an excellent way to develop strength, flexibility, and agility. It also teaches practitioners to think quickly and react to situations.

The Benefits of Weightlifting

Weightlifting is an effective way to build muscle. It puts a high level of mechanical tension and metabolic stress on the muscles, which is necessary for muscle growth. It also helps to improve balance, coordination, and posture.

The Best of Both Worlds

The best way to get the benefits of both BJJ and weightlifting is to combine them. You can do this by doing BJJ and weightlifting on alternate days. This will help you to develop strength, flexibility, and agility while also building muscle.

Conclusion

BJJ does not build muscle, but it does have many other benefits. Weightlifting is an effective way to build muscle, and combining BJJ and weightlifting is the best way to get the benefits of both.

To get started, we recommend the following:

Jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro

Mastering Jujitsu by Renzo Gracie